Nearing the end of 2008, we posted a blog entry named Let's Not Tell Time!, where Dino discussed several all-black timepieces of that time. Here we present a few of the more notable all-black watches from 2009.

Very few brands where producing all-black, no-contrast watches up to about three years ago. When some of these pieces, including the Bell & Ross BR Phantom, made a big impact on the watch industry, all-black became a permanent part of many watch collections.

Alpina Avalanche Extreme Diver

The Alpina Avalanche Extreme Diver incorporates many great features, quality Swiss automatic movement, strong, rugged case, a great luxury to price ratio, and a unique attractive style. Last year, Alpina added several variations to this collection adorned with different colour dials including one with black photo-luminescent markers. With a water resistance rating of 1000m the Diver reflects the darkness of the deep sea where it is most at home.

Bell & Ross Airborne and BR-S Phantoms

Bell & Ross unveiled several all-black watches last year. One of these was amongst the most talked about watch at the 2009 Baselworld fair. The limited edition Airborne is decorated with black, photo-luminescent skull and bones, which is a tribute to the courage and philosophy of airborne paratroopers.

While the all-black style is inspired by the military need for stealth, the BR-S Ceramic Phantoms take advantage purely of its sleek style. Bell & Ross also opened a new chapter in their their monochromatic book with an all-white version of the BRS-Ceramic.

Corum

I am not sure if it is considered cheating or not that the Corum Ti-Bridge Black does not even have a dial, but it is an all-black watch nonetheless. The titanium plates of the Ti-Bridge movement are treated with black PVD process and are all the dial this modern elegant watch needs.

On the more traditional side of the coin we find the Corums Admiral's Cup Black Challenge 44. The rubber strap, polygonal 44mm case, dial, and photo-luminescent hour markers are all black. The only contrast is created by the grey nautical pennants.

Corum Black Ti-Bridge and Admiral's Cup Black Challenge 44

U-Boat Classico Titanium Chronograph

Italo Fontana embraced the all-black style years before the look became popularized with some obscure models such as the Eclipse. In 2009 U-Boat introduced the Classico Chronograph Titanium, which is reminiscent of a modern, high-tech weapon.

All-black watches are beautiful as much as they are cool. They are stealthy as much as they are conspicuous. Their popularity is confirmed and they have become a permanent part of the horological landscape.